Thomas Jefferson University will expand its efforts to address health disparities with a $15 million gift from the health insurance company Humana.
The majority of the money — $12 million — will fund three permanent positions focused on health equity: a deanship in the College of Population Health, a professorship of community health and equity, and a chief community health and equity office for the Health System., a partnership between Jefferson and community organizations that aims to narrow health disparities in Philadelphia.
“This collaboration demonstrates our shared commitment to advancing community health and health equity,” said J. Nwando Olayiwola, Humana’s chief health equity officer & senior vice president, in a press release announcing the donation.Other Philadelphia-area health systems have also partnered with insurers to address community health challenges.
For example, a Jefferson group is currently interviewing patients to understand how their social needs affect their health. Better understanding this connection could help Jefferson’s providers offer more useful resources to the families they work with, Oglesby said.